Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior oversaw a much-needed comfortable win as his Blues clobbered Aston Villa 4-1 on Wednesday.
Joao Pedro recorded a hat trick in the win and Cole Palmer also scored as the Blues piled up goals to overcome a second-minute Douglas Luiz goal.
MORE — Aston Villa v Chelsea recap, analysis, video highlights
And the Blues also raised some eyebrows amongst the Villa players by having the pre-second half huddle in the center circle before the hosts could kick off.
“The idea came from the players, and I really like it because they’re showing unity and togetherness and spirit, and I think you need that,” a smiling Rosenior said after the game.
Rosenior also raised some eyebrows by starting Filip Jorgensen in place of Robert Sanchez after a dicey day between the sticks against Arsenal.
So how did Rosenior view Chelsea’s much-needed collection of three points?
Liam Rosenior reaction — Chelsea manager on Villa blowout, Joao Pedro hat trick
This game couldn’t have gone much better? “We could have kept a clean sheet. No, it’s a really good evening and so far I haven’t heard of any injury issues. I was very proud of them today. We’ve had a few kicks. We spoke about responding positively before the game. We had to end the game because, first and foremost, the first attack. They scored from a fantastic finish. I don’t understand how we don’t get a penalty. The fact that we’ve won 4-1 doesn’t change that. It’s a clear penalty on Reece. It’s another setback. For the players to perform in the manner that they did, with and without the ball, makes me a very proud manager this evening” (from football.london).
On Joao Pedro’s hat trick: “He’s a top player and I think he’s grown in confidence. I think his hold-up play, the energy he puts into the team in terms of his press, his movement... his goal with the left foot is world-class. The finish is magnificent. But actually, I’m really, really delighted with his two tap-ins that he got. He was in the right place at the right time. We worked hard with him on that.”
The team has bounced back from the loss to Arsenal: “For sure, you’re going to have set backs in your season. The maturity of the team, the quality we played with — it can be better, for sure, but the spirit was really pleasing tonight.”
How important is the win? “It’s only significant if we back it up. We have to be consistent. We have a massive FA Cup game, then we’ve got a huge game in Paris, and then we’ve got another huge game against Newcastle.”
